Front Range Range · Colorado 13er · No. 255 of the 13ers
Southeast Slopes from Lawn Lake Trail
Mummy Mountain, 13,420'
DifficultyClass 2+
Round trip15.6 mi
Elevation gain5,000'
TrailheadLawn Lake (Rocky Mountain National Park)
Trailhead elevation8,540'
Conditions on the summit
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Afternoon storm risk is the line that matters. Everything else is comfort. In summer, plan to be off the ridge before the build-up starts, not as it starts. Forecast for the summit point, adjusted for its elevation · data from Open-Meteo.
Colorado 13er · Southeast Slopes from Lawn Lake Trail
Overview
Mummy Mountain is the big peak above Lawn Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. You follow the Lawn Lake Trail almost 6 miles up the Roaring River, turn onto the Black Canyon Trail, then head north through a gap in the trees and straight up the long southeast slopes.
It is Class 2 if you pick your way carefully near the top; comfort with some easy, unexposed Class 3 saves time. The big push is from 11,350 to 13,200 feet in about 1.4 miles.
The round trip is about 15.6 miles with about 5,000 feet of gain. Mileage and gain are our estimates.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 5 a.m.
Turnaround
Be above treeline on the southeast slopes by 10 a.m.
Crux
The steep, rocky upper slopes.
Route-finding
Moderate. Leave the Black Canyon Trail about a third of a mile past the junction at a break in the woods, cross a small flat valley, and aim for an odd-shaped boulder where the ridge begins, around 11,350 feet.
From Estes Park, follow Highway 34 into Rocky Mountain National Park at its Fall River entrance. Drive about 2 miles past the entrance, past the bighorn sheep viewing area, and turn right as if for Old Fall River Road, then right again into the Lawn Lake trailhead lot.
The park charges an entry fee and may require a timed-entry reservation in summer. Dogs aren't allowed on trails. Check the park website.
Lawn Lake (Rocky Mountain National Park). Road conditions near the trailhead change after storms. Check your clearance and have a backup plan for a lower lot.
Trail in the treesOff-trail, no set pathTundraExposed to lightning
The line is elevation, the band underneath is the ground, and the numbered dots match the steps below. Mileage and elevations are approximate.
1
Lawn Lake trailhead 8,540' · 0 mi
Climb about 500 feet on easy trail west around Bighorn Mountain.
2
Roaring River 9,000' · 1 mi
Turn north along the river. Stay right at the Ypsilon Lake junction at 1.45 miles.
3
Black Canyon Trail 10,830' · 5.9 mi
Just before Lawn Lake, turn sharply right on the Black Canyon Trail.
4
Leave the trail 11,020' · 6.25 mi
About a third of a mile along, turn left at a break in the woods and rocks and cross a short, nearly flat valley. Climb the ridge on game trails with a few cairns.
5
Landmark rock 11,350' · 6.6 mi
A big oddly shaped rock marks where you top out onto the ridge.
6
Southeast slopes 11,900' · 7.1 mi
Climb steep tundra, following the line of the south-face cliffs and staying just inside them.
Watch for: Stay away from the cliff edges.
7
Second false summit 13,000' · 7.6 mi
The ground gets rockier. Careful route-finding keeps it Class 2.
8
Summit 13,420' · 7.8 mi
Walk a quarter mile along dramatic cliffs to the top, with views of Lawn and Crystal lakes.
Getting down
Descend the same way. Going west to the Hagues saddle can funnel you into Class 4 cliffs on Mummy's south face; if you go that way, walk at least a mile toward Hagues before dropping down.
If things go wrong
The Black Canyon Trail is straight below.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past the Black Canyon Trail the route is trailless. A flyover only works when there is a set trail to trace. Without one, the line would be a guess, and a guess could send you the wrong way on the mountain. Use the step-by-step route with a good map and GPS track instead.
See the trail on video
No video yet
We haven’t found a good video of this route that matches the way we describe it. The route strip, junctions and 3D flyover show the way in the meantime.
Other routes
Every way up Mummy Mountain we list, with its class.
This describes the route on a dry summer day. Most 13ers see few people, so there may be no one along behind you. Check recent conditions the week you go, carry a map, tell someone your plan, and turn around when the day tells you to.